Endocytosis
by He is a Milkman
Summary: As teenagers, Elliot and the Professor shared a ‘special friendship’. However, over the years, they grew apart. Can old feelings be rekindled, or is it all to remain in the past? WARNING: SLASH. MAER.
1. Chapter 1

**Endocytosis: Chapter 1**

**Rating**: PG

**Warning**: None.

**Pairing**: MAER (Membrane and Elliot)

**Summary**: As teenagers, Elliot and the Professor shared a 'special friendship'. However, over the years, they grew apart. Can old feelings be rekindled, or is it all to remain in the past?

Late spring hung heavy in the air. It was a Friday; the children were hours out of skool, but the sun remained in the sky, blessing them with longer days. Happily driving along a normal, peaceful neighborhood was a small, simple car that looked something like the lovechild of a compact and a station wagon. It was a deep blue in color with slightly faded, fake, wood paneling along its sides. Atop the car's radio antenna was a small, widely grinning smiley face. The driver happily tapped his thumbs to his radio, humming as he drove. A few young children played gleefully with a sprinkler in a nearby yard. Ahead, other children played baseball, suddenly scattering as one hit a ball into a window and an angry fat man instantly leaned out his front door, screaming.

The small car stopped in front of an odd purple house that stood out from its surrounding neighbors. It was the home of the famed Professor Membrane and… some kids. Though it was about the size of the rest of the houses in the neighborhood, it had a slight dark and looming effect to it. Fencing the yard in, but not the side walk, was a thick visible electric current of sorts, guided by metal posts set at each grassy corner. The engine of the mini-station wagon cut off, the pleasant music dying with it, and out stepped a man who simply radiated happiness and good cheer. The man straightened his light brown sweater vest as he walked towards the house, a bundle of papers in his arms. His attire consisted of a white shirt with folded up cuffs, a brown sweater vest with a reddish band running across it, and a pair of pants that splayed over comfortable light brown loafers. He stopped at the front door and reached a hand out to press the doorbell.

A few odd noises bumped around in the house, as well as muffled yelling, before the pink door slowly opened. Out peeked a ruffled boy with odd black hair and large glasses, which were terribly askew. He looked as if he had been shoved down the stairs and adjusted his large glasses. A confused brow rose. "Uhh… Hello?"

"Hiya, Dibkins!" The man grinned. "I'm sure you remember me, I'm Mister Elliot, Gaz's teacher, and I set up a meeting with your father."

"Oh yeah." The brow lowered as Dib stood there blinking with one hand on the door; the other rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, dad is… Well. I dunno where he is."

"Oh? Well, I should be on time. I--" he paused to lift up the sleeve of the arm free of the bundle. "Oh, would you look at that, silly me. I'm 5 minutes early. I guess I should really get my car's clock checked." He nodded to himself as he put the sleeve back down.

"Well. If you scheduled something then I'm sure--" Dib watched a squirrel run into the electric field around the yard, the poor thing twitched and smoked after receiving a loud shock. It lay limp on the sidewalk.

"You know, I used to have a fence for my puppy too. I didn't like it, poor Scruffims always twitched and smoked just like that whenever he ran into it." Elliot idly commented before returning to the original subject matter. "I'll just wait for him." He nodded with a smile.

"Uh. Okay. Just wait here, I guess." Dib stepped aside to let the man in and gestured towards the couch.

"Thanks Dibby!" Elliot walked over to the couch and sat down, admiring the interior decorating.

"Do you want a drink or something?" Dib raised a brow as he closed the door.

"Ice water would be fantastic." The teacher grinned and Dib disappeared into the kitchen, soon returning to hand him the requested drink. "Thanks Dibbers."

"I was kinda... upstairs, spying on horrible alien activity, and, I'm gonna go back to that. Dad should be home soon, or something." Dib slowly edged towards the stairs before bolting away to his room.

"Alright, you have fun with that!" Elliot gave a little wave as he took a drink, placing his papers onto his lap.

So Mr. Elliot sat there, patiently. His hands neatly folded with one tilted upward to hold the water by its base. He shifted and crossed one leg over the other, bouncing it slightly. He perked a brow at a sudden noise behind him and glanced back. It was Gaz, making her way into the kitchen, ignoring her teacher. Elliot waved before turning back to hum the same tune he had playing in the car. After a few moments more, there was the sound of a door and heavy boots making their way across the kitchen. Elliot leaned over a little in hopes of catching a glimpse of whoever it was.

"I'm not late!" The Professor himself stood in the doorway, hands on his hips, in a sort of self triumphant pose. He looked the same as always, a large white lab coat that covered half his face, huge black boots, heavily gloved hands, and a pair of strange goggles with a tube that attached to an odd pack on his arm.

Elliot made a little noise before smiling and giving a wave. "Ah. Hello Professor. I'm sure you remember why I wanted to talk to you?" His leg stopped bouncing a moment.

"Ah. Yes. About my daughter, Gaz." He lowered his arms to be folded across his middle. He moved over to the couch, and then suddenly turned. "You know. The kitchen would be a lot better for this."

A slight hint of disappointment tugged at Elliot's lips, but he fought it back with a grin as he rose with his glass and papers, following the professor to sit at the table. "I know I've sent you a few notes about Gaz's behavior."

Membrane didn't sit right away. Instead, he moved over to the fridge to look for something to drink. There was no reply until he turned, the fridge door closing behind him as he opened a cola. "Yes, yes. I've read them." He moved to sit across from the other man.

"Well, since it is going to be summer and all soon, I wanted to talk to you about possibly putting her in summer camp." Elliot flipped through his papers before he slid a little brochure over to the Professor. It was covered in pictures of happy, smiling children canoeing, climbing trees, and doing all sorts of camp related things.

The Professor folded a leg over the other as he idly looked through it. "Hmm… Summer camp." He mumbled to himself.

"Happy Lakes is a great place for her to meet new friends and have tons of fun." Elliot grinned before he quietly added "Worked wonders for us."

Suddenly, Membrane choked on his soda, but quickly righted himself as if nothing odd had happened. "Ah yes."

"Just think of all the fun she would have. What do you say?" Elliot took a slip of ice water before he folded his hands in front of him. "Don't you remember all the fun we had?"

"The bees weren't fun." Membrane raised a brow. "And I don't think Gaz is old enough for some of…"

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Slight color came to Elliot's cheeks. "They have better counselors. Always keeping an eye on the kids." He gave a nervous sort of grin.

"Hmm…" The brow lowered and Membrane took a drink of his soda. "And what about the bee problem?"

"I think they got rid of them years ago." Elliot nodded.

"Good! I don't want my little girl going through a horrible bee accident."

"Well, at least you got to sit out on dodge-ball." Elliot leaned his head on a hand that in turn leaned on the table. "Those other kids sure did like to target me." He chuckled. "But camp battle scars are half the fun!"

"I didn't like that camp. I wanted to go to science camp, but there was a mistake in processing my papers. I'm sure you remember." With a shake of his head, Membrane set his soda down. "Not one bit of science there."

The blonde man stuck out a lip a little. "But aren't you glad you went?"

"Well…" There was an awkward pause. "There were some fun things." Another cough.

"It was magical." Elliot grinned as he looked back on old memories.

"I suppose…" Goggles stared down at the brochure.

"You certainly didn't have that attitude at the time." Elliot lifted a hand to teasingly wag a finger. He tilted his head off the hand that had cradled it.

Membrane just stared before shifting uneasily. "I was a teenager." The answer was simple.

"Well, don't worry about Gaz. She'll be in good hands." Elliot nodded to his own statement.

"Will you be working as a counselor?" The soda was lifted once more.

"Oh, no. I'll be working with a few shelters and children's organizations this summer. I might even take some time off to go to the beach!" His voice squeaked a little at the end, tinged with childlike excitement. "What about you?"

"I'm far too busy to take vacations. The city needs me, no, the world needs me." A boot tapped a little as he nodded importantly.

"Of course, the great Professor Membrane must have a really busy schedule." Elliot took a sip of his water, holding his lips there for a moment. "Always so busy…" The comment was idle and slightly disappointed.

"Men of science have little time to spare." He paused, as if thinking something over, a few fingers resting on his chin in thought. "In fact, I have a meeting in an hour."

"Oh, well. I just wanted to talk to you about Gaz. She'd love it. She really would. Camp is a fabulous place where kids can make some really neat memories." The teacher splayed his fingers out a bit in a 'rainbow' motion.

"Indeed…" A brow rose as Membrane picked up the paper and handed it back.

"Oh, and---Ee!" Elliot suddenly squeaked as he reached out for the brochure and a sharp edge bit into his finger. A tiny drop of blood began to form and he pulled his hand towards his mouth instinctively.

"No." A glove suddenly grabbed the teacher's wrist. "You must clean it properly."

A hint of color brushed across Elliot's face and he stood as the Professor began to lead him away. "It is just a little paper cut. I'll be fine."

"Just a paper cut? If left untreated, it could lead to a horrible, horrible infection!" Membrane suddenly tugged Elliot into the bathroom and let go of him to open the medicine cabinet and look through it. "You'll need to wash it…"

"Alright." Elliot leaned over a little to wash his hands, biting his lip a tad at how close the other was beside him.

"Aha. Here we go." Finally, Membrane had found a little bottle of disinfectant and a box of Band-Aids. He pulled one of the strips out and turned to the blonde. "Just dry it and…" He paused, watching as Elliot dried his hands on a nearby towel. "This may sting a little. But that's just the sting of clean." He took the other's wrist again and poured the liquid over the wound, tiny bubbles forming along the edges of the cut. After he was satisfied with that, he placed a deep blue Band-Aid, with a tiny cartoon version of his face in the middle, over the cut. "There we go."

"Thanks, Membrane." Elliot grinned, not pulling his hand away when the job was finished.

"Well. I'm sure you have other children to recruit for summer camp…" After a moment or so of holding the teacher's wrist, he let go and awkwardly stepped outside the bathroom, hands behind his back in a very professional manner.

"Oh, no. I've got some tests to grade. Going to get right on it when I get home." He smiled and wrapped his arms around himself, sounding a little too excited about such a boring task.

"Well. I'll talk over it with Gaz. She should enjoy camp. Videogames may be good for hand eye coordination, but camp…" He paused and stopped himself, his mind a sea of information, though a few particular thoughts demanded his attention.

"She'll love it." Elliot grinned and started to scoot past the Professor and head into the kitchen, the other soon following. "Well. I'm sure you'll have to get ready for that big important meeting." He gathered up his papers and set them under an arm.

"Yes. That…" He held out a hand to Elliot. "It was nice talking to you, Mister Elliot."

The teacher looked at the hand a second before taking it for a firm shake. "And it was lovely talking with you again, Membrane. Though," He shifted a little, like a hopeful child in a candy store, "I'd really like to see you again. If you're not too busy."

"You know how busy I am." The Professor looked down at their hands. "Things have changed."

"I know." Disappointment struck again, but he smiled nevertheless. "We had some really great times." He nodded. "We really did." He looked up into the thick goggles after a slight pause. "Did it end there?"

The Professor was silent a moment, just staring at the other. "I don't know." It was odd saying such a phrase, frustrating too. For once, the Professor was unsure about something.

"Well. I really gotta skedattle." Elliot smiled and pulled away from the very long handshake, which had lost its 'shake' several minutes ago. "I don't want to keep you from getting ready for that big meeting." He turned to head for the door, turning before he stepped out. "Goodnight, Professor. And good luck!"

"Goodnight, Elliot." With that, the door closed and he turned to go prepare for his meeting, all sorts of thoughts tumbling about his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Endocytosis: Chapter 2**

**Rating**: PG  
**Warning**: None.

**Pairing**: MAER (Membrane and Elliot)  
**Summary**: As teenagers, Elliot and the Professor shared a 'special friendship'. However, over the years, they grew apart. Can old feelings be rekindled, or is it all to remain in the past?

Summer hit full force that year. The air sizzled and blurred with the heat and the ground cracked in desperation for water, but the sky was unmercifully cloudless. Along a bumpy dirt road rolled an old, dirty bus filled with screaming, sweaty kids. The ages varied, but most of them were in their early to late teens. The bus driver was an old, fat, grumpy lady who twitched each time a paper airplane hit the back of her head. She picked up the speed, determined to get the smelly, annoying children off her bus and to the camp, they'd be their problem then. Eventually, the bus crossed a creaky wooden bride that stretched across a thick creek, and pulled to a stop in front of a large lodge. Tables and piles of luggage littered the wide yard and from the middle of the chaos waved a high flag with a large smiling lake. The words 'Happy Lakes' spread across the fabric in large, bold letters.

"Out! All of you little rats!" The doors of the bus swung open and the kids poured out.

One of the last to step out was a much younger Elliot. Atop his head was a light khaki fishing hat, the edges splaying over and shading his eyes. A few wisps of blonde bangs peeked out and stuck to his slightly sweaty forehead. He wore a thin, brown sweater vest with a crisp white short sleeved shirt beneath it. Khaki shorts ended a little below mid-thigh and revealed knobby knees, he was still growing into his body. On his feet he wore a pair of brown sandals, toes idly wiggling with excitement. Upon seeing that he had finally arrived in that magical place, he grinned, revealing rows of braces.

"I can't believe this…" A voice grumbled behind Elliot and he blinked, looking back.

"Kid. Get off." The bus driver growled, her blood pressure at dangerous levels.

"This is the wrong camp!" A flustered boy in goggles and lab coat threw out his arms, spreading his gloved fingers out in frustration.

"Look, kid... You need to talk to them about it. Not my problem. I just drive you little rodents here. Now get off." She pressed the gas a little, the engine revving impatiently.

"Fine." The boy grumbled and stepped off the bus to stand beside Elliot. His arms folded grumpily.

"Hiya!" Elliot beamed at the other. "My name's Elliot. What's yours?"

"Membrane…" The taller boy mumbled, eyes scanning the area for someone who could assist him.

"So you're at the wrong camp?" The blonde tilted his head curiously.

"Yes. I was supposed to be at Science Camp." He started to walk away, towards a counselor.

"Well this camp is fun too!" Elliot trailed after the boy. "I come here every year. It's got marshmallow roasts, and canoeing, and swimming, and horseback riding, and fishing, and crafts, and hiking, and softball, and sometimes we have dances!"

"Yes. Yes. All that sounds wonderful, but I'm not supposed to be here!" Membrane waved a hand at the other boy as he approached a counselor. "Excuse me."

"Hi there. I'm Terry and I'll be one of your counselors here at Happy Lakes." The tall, lanky man, dressed in a white shirt with the camp logo on it, smiled at the two. "Elliot, good to see you. Brought a friend this year?" He waved his clipboard as he spoke.

"We just met, but I'm sure we'll become great pals!" Braces flashed at Membrane in a wide grin.

"There has been a mistake with my papers. I'm not supposed to be at this camp." Membrane was too focused on getting out of there to acknowledge Elliot's comment.

"Hm. What's your name?"

"Membrane."

"Membrane… Membrane…" The counselor flipped through a few pages before he paused, found what he had been looking for, and pulled a sticker off the page, placing it on the boy's chest. "Membrane! Here we are! Cabin five." The sticker simply had the boy's name and cabin number.

"Me next!" Elliot squeaked and Terry flipped through the pages, soon placing a sticker on his chest.

"Cabin five as well." The man smiled. "Looks like you'll be bunking with your new buddy here."

"But… I'm not supposed to be here…" Membrane twitched a little.

"Well, it says here that you are. You'll have to bring your luggage to your cabin yourself. Better hurry before all the good bunks are taken!" The man smiled and began to walk away, waving a hand at the two. "See you later, kids."

"Hey. It'll be fun. You just gotta make the best of it." Elliot rolled on his heels a bit before stepping forward. "Come on. Let's get our stuff."

"Fine." Membrane trudged after the other boy as he made a mental note to have a talk with the camp supervisor.

Later, the two had made their way to their assigned cabin. Elliot lugged a large black trunk, while membrane simply carried two metal suitcases. The blonde heaved his trunk up the steps and past the open screen door, glancing around for a free bed. Membrane walked past him, eyeing the room. It seemed as if every bed was taken, piles of luggage marking each boy's claim. He spotted a free bed in the back of the small room and walked over to it, a top bunk. Setting his suitcases down, he climbed halfway up the wooden ladder on the back of the bunk to inspect the bed.

"Looks like you'll be on top of me!" Elliot peeked over the edge of the bed, grinning braces at the other before ducking down to shove his trunk under his bed.

A brow raised, but Membrane shook his head before climbing back down. "Indeed."

"Oh, you'll just love the campfire tonight." Elliot reached a hand out to touch the older boy's sleeve. "The marshmallows here are delicious."

"Don't they taste like marshmallows everywhere else?" Membrane glanced at the hand, his arms folding across his chest.

"Oh, no! They taste even better! Sitting around a big fire with a bunch of friends." The boy paused and sighed happily. "It makes it… magical." Fingers splayed out and wiggled.

After supper, the campers were rounded up and lead to a large open field with a huge bonfire blazing in the center. Large, long logs surrounded it in a sort of broken hexagon. A few teens sat by the fire, while others perched themselves on the logs. The night sky stretched its dark dappled blanket overhead. Crickets chirped over the crackle of the flames. Membrane and Elliot sat on the far end, where there were fewer people. Less than pleased, Membrane twirled his stick, which had a flaming marshmallow on the end, and he idly watched the fire consume the sugary blob. Elliot roasted his own marshmallow to a rich golden brown, and placed his stick between his knees so he could pluck it off and eat the delicious treat.

"You know. This is probably bad for my braces." The blonde commented as he sucked the thick goo off a finger.

"Hmm." Membrane only made a noise as he watched his flaming marshmallow melt off his stick and fall into the fire.

"They don't taste very good all burnt." Elliot glanced over at the crispy marshmallow, another finger slipping into his mouth to be thoroughly sucked. "Do you not like them?" There was a wet smack as he popped his finger from his mouth.

"I don't feel like eating anything now." Membrane leaned forward a little to poke at a burning piece of wood.

"Still upset about ending up here?" He suckled on a finger, speaking with it in his mouth.

"Yes. An entire summer wasted! Think of all the Science I could be doing!" A gloved fist squeaked.

"Aw. Doncha worry. I'll help you make this the best summer ever!" Elliot grinned as he reached over into the little bag of marshmallows to place another on his stick to roast. "I promise."

"I suppose I have no choice." Membrane's shoulders slumped a little.

"Cheer up! This is camp! It is supposed to be fun!" Elliot wrapped an arm around Membrane in a sort of half hug, his hand gripping the far shoulder as he leaned his head on the closer one.

"Eh. I suppose I could work on some small experiments." Membrane looked to the side as the other's head rested on his shoulder. "But I don't have all the tools necessary for anything important."

"See? It isn't all bad." Elliot soon placed another sticky golden marshmallow in his mouth. He suddenly perked his head up off the other's shoulder. "Hmfff..." He paused to chew and swallow. "Hey. Wanna see something neat and spooky?"

"Are we allowed?" Membrane raised a brow as he watched the blonde suck the marshmallow off his fingers.

"Aw. We won't get caught. It isn't that far. Mmmm." Elliot happily purred as he licked the last bit of sticky sugar off his fingers and pulled his other hand off the taller boy. "Lemme just go get a flashlight." He rose and looked down at Membrane with a smile. "Come on."

"Fine." The taller boy stood and followed Elliot, though he seemed much less enthused about the whole idea.

It wasn't long before the two found themselves on a well worn trail in the dark of the woods. Elliot walked closely beside Membrane as he bounced the light of his flashlight on the path ahead. Every so often his sandals would crunch over a tiny fallen twig, and with each sound, he would tense slightly, and seemed to revel in the creepiness. Membrane was much less interested, following the other for the simple fact of having nothing better to do. A few moments of silence had passed, and curiosity began to take its toll.

"Where are we going?" A glance was given to the blonde.

"An old graveyard. It is oh so spooky." Elliot grinned at the other. "I wonder if it has ghosts."

"Ghosts aren't real. They are nothing more than figments of the imagination, or weather balloons, or something." Membrane rolled a dismissive hand.

"Aw. But it is fun to believe in stuff like that. Even if it isn't real, it's fun to get scared sometimes."

"I suppose."

"Here we are!" Elliot turned off the main path and down a small slope to little clearing.

The graveyard was indeed old. Ragged, worn tombstones rose out of the ground in odd angles. Some were broke in half with pieces scattered about their base. Others bore huge cracks, threatening to topple over themselves at any second. The inscriptions were faded and thin moss slowly consumed the surfaces. Tiny plants and weeds grew over the area. It wasn't well kept, in fact, the only reason the forest hadn't swallowed the graveyard was because of all the curious young campers that stomped about year after year. Elliot moved to stand in the middle, turning a bit to smile and wave Membrane over.

"Come on. Don't be scared." The blonde gave a reassuring smile.

"Why would I be scared? There is nothing to be scared of. Ghosts don't exist." Membrane blinked as he stood next to the boy.

"Well--" Elliot suddenly gasped as a low groan sounded through the woods. It was muffled by the dark wall of trees surrounding the tiny clearing. The boy's hand whipped out to grab the other's, holding tightly. "What was that?"

"Well." Membrane blinked down at the hand firmly clamped on his own. "It sounds like the cooling of molecules after an extended period of heat exposure. Heat causes them to expand." He paused after Elliot blinked at him. "It was a tree."

"But wasn't it spooky?" The blonde boy grinned and didn't seem to notice that they were holding hands.

"Sure." Membrane decided to humor the other a little. Something so simple and scientifically explainable wasn't 'spooky' at all.

"Aw. You need to loosen up." Elliot swayed their hands a little, as if holding hands with a newfound friend was indeed normal.

"I suppose graveyards are just… not the things I would find spooky." A free hand lifted to Membrane's chin and he pondered a bit. "Perhaps a genetic engineering experiment gone wrong would be spooky."

"That's the spirit!" Elliot flashed braces. "Well, we should probably—Eeek!" Elliot squealed as a loud, high pitched screech suddenly lashed through the air. He turned and latched onto Membrane tightly, eyes closed, their eyewear pressed flat against each other. The flash light fell to the ground with a thump as his arms clung around the other boy's middle.

Membrane blinked a moment before slowly, awkwardly, placing his own arms around the startled boy. He glanced over at a near by tree where the sound of shaking branches revealed a creamy colored owl, barely visible in the dim light. "It was just a Tyto alba. They often screech in flight, usually for territorial reasons." He looked back down at Elliot. "Just a common barn owl."

Unseen in the darkness, color had painted the blonde's cheeks and he glanced to the side, but didn't move from the taller boy. Elliot bit his lip a little, each word Membrane had spoken was a tiny bit of warmth against his face, cooled slightly by the fabric of the lab coat's collar. The arms that wrapped and rested loosely around him only made the color brighter. Membrane was silent for a few moments, battling his own demons of awkward, but it didn't show on the outside.

"I think we should go… Before the counselors notice we are gone…" Elliot whispered low, gripping his fingers into the lab coat a little before he began to pull away and lean over to pick up the flashlight. Membrane didn't say a word as he followed the other back to camp.

The windows of the cabin were open, nothing but tightly woven mesh screens to keep the campers free of any annoying insects. The main door was open as well, but the screen door kept out any pesky critters. A tiny latch was hinged about three fourths up inside the door frame, and was the only thing that kept the teens 'locked in'. Membrane lay in his bed, staring at the dark expanse of wooden beams above him. His thoughts were a jumble. Gloved hands lay across his chest, and his goggles remained on. It had been an hour or so since the two sneaked back. They had barely made it in time before lights out, and dismissed themselves with the excuse of 'they couldn't find the bathrooms'. Luckily for them, no one questioned why two boys went off alone in search of a restroom.

"Membrane. Hey, Membrane." There was a soft whisper before a blonde head and bright blue eyes peeked over the edge of the bunk, near the older boy's head. "Are you awake?"

There was no response for a moment, perhaps reluctant to talk to the boy, or perhaps lost in his thoughts. "Yes." He whispered back, for fear of waking the others.

"Hey… You know about the graveyard thing?" Elliot bit at his lip a bit.

"Hm? That? What about it?" Membrane raised an unseen brow, his head turning to look at the other's face.

"You're not mad, are you?" The whisper dived a little lower, barely audible.

"You were just startled. Why would I be mad?"

"Well. When you…" The blonde gave a little squeak and tried to hush himself. "You put your arms around me." A little grin grew, though it was tinged with nervousness, and he began to fidget.

"You put yours around me first."

Elliot was a little surprised by the cool calm in Membrane's voice. "And it didn't bother you?" There was an odd tone to his voice, as if testing.

"No."

"Good!" The boy soon put a hand over his mouth, realizing it was a tad over a whisper. He pulled his hand away and smiled. "I'll see yah in the morning, kay? You sleep well." He reached a hand out to pat the older boy's arm before he ducked back to his own bunk.

"Kay…" Membrane simply repeated the word Elliot had used before he mumbled "Goodnight."


	3. Chapter 3

**Endocytosis: Chapter 3**

**Rating**: PG  
**Warning**: None.  
**Pairing**: MAER (Membrane and Elliot)  
**Summary**: As teenagers, Elliot and the Professor shared a 'special friendship'. However, over the years, they grew apart. Can old feelings be rekindled, or is it all to remain in the past?

It was high afternoon and the sun had barely moved an inch from its noon stance. The air was thick with heat, and the campers sought relief in the forgiving lake. A few counselors stood watch clad in full lifeguard gear. A little lifeguard tower sat on the edge of a smooth wooden dock protruding several yards into the lake, creating a perfect launch pad for daring leaps into the water. The teens swam and splashed, a few played water games while others, mostly the girls, just sat on the dock and talked. All were enjoying the cool water except for one camper. Membrane sat under the shade of a tree, a tiny portable workstation resting on his lap. It was about the size and shape of a large laptop, and had several odd wires, tubes, knobs, data screens, and lights across its surface. In his hand was something that resembled a welding rod, but with tiny robotic arms at its tip. At the base of the rod was a thick wire connected to the underbelly of the workstation. A tiny insectoid android sat in the middle of the console, the tiny robotics making fine adjustments on it.

"Membrane!" A half drowned voice called out from the water. Membrane didn't look up, too focused on his work. "Hey Membrane!" The second yell was coughed as a very wet Elliot made his way over to the older boy. He was in nothing but a pair of dark purple swim trunks. His blonde hair stuck to his face in thick, wet strings, and tiny beads of water rolled down his awkward teenage body. "Come swim with me!" Braces flashed down at the other.

"Careful. You're soaking wet." Membrane leaned to the side a little, hugging his work close to him for fear of the water ruining it.

"Oh. Sorry." Elliot scooted over to the side where he wouldn't drip onto him. "Can't you work on that later?" He reached a hand up to wipe some water from his face.

"I could, but I have other things I'd like to work on." A tiny spark emitted from the little robot on the console.

"Why not swim now, and do that later?" Elliot suddenly plopped to a sit beside the other, making sure to stay a good few feet away.

"I don't swim." Another spark.

"Why not?"

"I just don't."

"Are you scared?"

"No.

"Can you?"

"Probably. Even babies can swim. Humans are born with a natural instinct to hold their breath underwater." Several sparks flew with every other word, and Membrane leaned close to examine his work, the flares reflecting in his goggles.

"So you've never gone swimming?" Elliot tilted his head a little.

"No."

"Don't you think you should start?" A grin quickly lifted. "With meee? You know, in case you fall off a boat or something."

"I have technology for that."

"Well, aren't you hot in that?" Elliot reached a mostly dry arm over to tug on Membrane's sleeve. "You must be really sweaty."

"That's my next project… Air conditioned clothing." Membrane paused from his work to look over at the slightly damp hand. "But this is more important."

"What is it?" Elliot leaned over a little, but was met with a glove to his forehead. He blinked and looked cross eyed at the hand on his face. It was blocking him from dripping on the equipment.

"It is a robotic bee." Membrane worked with one hand, keeping the other on Elliot's face, which began to slide down lower from the wet. "…Of the apidae bombus variety."

"What does it do?" Elliot blinked, voice muffled slightly by the palm of the glove.

"It communicates with bees." Membrane pulled his hand away and wiped it on the side of his lab coat.

The blonde leaned back to sit up straight. "Why would it do that?"

"Why?" Membrane paused and looked over at Elliot. "Because! Think of all the horrible bee stings that could be avoided by beekeepers and citizens alike. To communicate would be to control them. Bees work like a unit, a massive collective. And with this robot leading them. Just think of the advances in beekeeping technology!" He rolled his hand on his wrist. "Also, we could relocate bees that become a stinging menace."

"Oooooo." Elliot smiled and eyed the little robot. "It is all tiny and cute."

"Indeed it is." Membrane let go of the little welding rod and it whipped back inside of the console. "Let's test it out." He pressed a small button and the robot came to life. Its tiny antennae twitched, the legs strummed, and it then began to wiggle and move in an odd pattern across the surface of the console.

"Oh. It is so tiny and… Ee!" Elliot made a little noise as he watched it. "It looks like it is dancing. Look at it go!" He grinned, braces revealed.

"It is dancing." Membrane watched his little creation. "You see, bees communicate through motor patterns, nominal graded messages. It appears to us as a 'dance'. They can give detailed descriptions of where to find the best flowers. The 'dances' are rather complicated, based on the position of the sun, the distance of said flower, and many other extraordinary details." Membrane paused for a moment. "Bees also use pheromones to communicate and control other bees. That is what this little tank here is. The pink one." He pointed at a tiny pink swell on the bee's underbelly. "It mimics the 15 glands found in real bees..." He paused to glance at the cheerily blank expression on Elliot. "Well, let's just say it can perfectly communicate and control the other bees."

"That's really neat, Membrane!" Elliot smiled and scooted over to the older boy, he was mostly dry now. The risk of wetting the project was practically nonexistent at that point.

"Yes. I'd like to take it for a test run." Goggles turned back down to look at the little bee, which was cleaning its tiny metal antennae much like a real bee would.

"Hmm… I think there is a bees' nest around here somewhere." Elliot leaned over to get a better look, chin nearly resting on Membrane's shoulder.

"Excellent." Membrane wasn't bothered when the chin met with his shoulder. "I warn you, though. It is still in beta phase, and something horrible could go wrong, so I suggest you stay here."

Elliot pulled away and stood up, dusting off bits of grass that had clung to his legs. "Come on. I think I know where one is."

"Alright. Lead the way." Membrane rose as well, careful to keep the console steady as he followed the other boy.

"Lemme get my sandals." Elliot moved over to a pile of his clothes and towel close to the shore of the lake, slipping on his sandals and wrapping his towel around his waist like a sarong. "This way! To the bees!" Elliot pointed towards the mess hall and walked over, with Membrane in tow. After they had gone far enough away from the lake, however, Elliot slowed to walk beside Membrane, their shoulders touching.

Soon they stood before an old tree behind the mess hall. It was dead and hollowed out, a large buzzing nest of bees nestled inside of it. The edges of the large hole twitched with a living mass of worker bees ready to fly off, or returning from their foraging. Membrane raised a brow before looking over at Elliot, who seemed a bit nervous.

"I think you should go." Membrane glanced back at the nest. "I wouldn't want you to accidentally get stung if this malfunctions."

Elliot stuck out a pouty lip. "Aw. But I wanted to watch." The possible threat of bees, however, convinced him otherwise. "But, alright. I'll see you later then, kay?" Elliot moved over to give Membrane a sort of half hug, the taller boy only glancing down slightly as he was hugged. "I'll cover for you if the counselors ask."

"Thank you." From the sound of his voice, it seemed as if there was a slight smile beneath his lab coat collar.

Hours later, Elliot made his way towards the first aid cabin. His lip was bloody and slightly dripping down his chin. His clothes were dirty and dusty, as if he had been doing quite a bit of falling. Bruises speckled the visible flesh of his arms and legs, as well as the occasional scrap and cut. The worst was a long bloody line where he had skinned his arm. He held it up a little so the blood dripped off his elbow and onto the ground, rather than his shirt. Dirt would easily come out, blood, however, would not. The boy slowly climbed the steps of the nursing cabin, rapping his knuckles on the screen door before letting himself in.

"Hello? Nurse Bridget?" Elliot moved a hand under his elbow to catch the blood so it wouldn't drip on the floor.

"She went to lunch." Membrane lay on a cot, staring at the ceiling. What was visible of his head was wrapped in thick white gauze weighted down by ice wrapped in a washcloth.

"Oh… Did she just leave?" Elliot winced as he looked over at Membrane. "And are you feeling any better?"

"She left about two minutes before you arrived." The older boy rested his gloved hands over his chest. "Yes. It isn't as bad now. Pain associated with bee stings generally disappears after about two hours…"

"I guess I'll help myself then." Elliot moved over to the sink as he licked at his lip and the still very fresh blood. He turned on the water and made a little squeak as he began to wash his large wound, the hot water and soap burned painfully.

"What happened to you?" Membrane sat up, the washcloth falling to his lap.

"Oh. Heh." Elliot turned to grin at Membrane, exposing braces and a rather busted bottom lip. "Dodge ball."

"Wow. They really got you good." The older boy stood, though swayed from the antihistamines he had been given. "Let me help you."

"Oh. No. You should be resting." Another lick of blood. "This is nothing compared to all those bee stings…"

"No, no." Membrane moved over to Elliot and tugged him away from the sink a little. "You must take care of these properly, or risk a deadly infection!" He raised a scolding finger at the blonde.

Elliot opened his mouth to state the fact that he had often taken care of his own wounds, but how could he pass up the chance of Membrane doing it for him? "Ah. Well, thank you." He smiled.

"First, clean everything with soap and water. And…" He paused to run his gloves under the water, washing them as if he weren't wearing them at all. "Stop the bleeding on your arm, apply some pressure." He looked over at the boy's lip and took his chin in his hand, thumb gently resting beneath his lips to get a better look. "That looks as if it is clotting nicely. You might want to put a little pressure on it as well. And I don't think you'll need stitches either."

A slight blush rose on Elliot's face as the thumb brushed so close to his lips, and he quickly looked away when he was released. "Okay." He did as told, first applying pressure to his arm with the aid of a nearby paper towel. Subconsciously, his tongue licked at the blood on his lip.

"No licking!" Membrane scolded before turning to the side to open a cabinet which held all the bandages and disinfectant.

"Sorry." Elliot pulled his tongue back into his mouth as he leaned over to clean the little cuts and scrapes on his legs.

"Sit here when you are done." Membrane pointed to a cot as he set a little pile of bandages and such in the middle.

When he felt he was clean enough, Elliot moved over to sit, smiling up at Membrane as he did so. "This is really nice of you."

"Well… I can't have you getting some horrible disease, now can I?" Membrane reached over for a cotton ball and dabbed a bit of disinfectant on it, leaning over a little to gently pad it on the boy's lip. "Open." Elliot opened his mouth slightly so the other had better access to his lower lip, and winced at the pain. "Don't worry, the stinging will stop in a moment." He dabbed it a few more times before grabbing a tiny tube of some kind of transparent cream. With a q-tip, he applied it to the wound. "This contains three antibodies; bacitracin, neomycin, and polymyxin. It will prevent scarring. Don't lick it off. I'm sure it tastes terrible."

"Ew." Elliot made a slight face at the cream on his lip.

"Hmm…" Membrane stepped back to reach into a jar of lollipops sitting by the sink. He returned and held a cherry flavored one out to Elliot. "This should keep your tongue busy. I can't have you licking that off."

Elliot smiled, though the size of his grin was limited by the pain of his lip moving too much. "Thanks! Cherry! That's one of my favorites." He purred happily as he unwrapped it and placed it in his mouth.

"Don't run the stick over your lip too much. You have to keep that on." Membrane began to clean the wound on the boy's arm, dabbing it with disinfectant before applying the same cream. "Or I'll just have to put more on."

"Don't worry. I won't." Elliot suckled on the lollipop as he watched Membrane with bright blue eyes.

"Lean your arm back a little bit." Membrane moved the boy's arm back as he placed thin pads of cotton along the scrape. He then began to wrap a white bandage about the arm, securing it with an odd metal tab on both ends. "There. That's done."

"Thanks!" He smiled as he noisily pulled the sucker from his mouth. "It looks really good—Augh!" Elliot made a face as his tongue not only licked the lollipop, but the cream as well.

"Keep it in your mouth." Membrane sighed as he lowered to a kneel to tend to the cuts on the boy's legs, treating them with Band-Aids rather than bandages due to their small size.

"Ew. Yeah. Just a habit, heh." He placed the lollipop back into his mouth. "I don't think I licked any off, though."

"That's good." Membrane rose when he was done. "There! Perfect!" He stood back a little and admired his work.

Elliot grinned as wide as he could without tearing the cut open and stood, wrapping his arms around Membrane in a tight hug. "Thank you so much!" He buried his forehead into the other boy's shoulder.

Membrane was a bit taken aback by the sudden hug, but slowly returned it. "You're very welcome."

"Oh my. Elliot!" A voice sounded from across the room. It was a thin, cheery looking, middle aged women with bright flaming red hair. "What are you two doing?"

"Membrane was just…" Elliot lifted his head and began, twirling the sucker in his mouth.

"Don't you know what that poor boy has gone through today? He should be resting!" She wagged a freckled finger as she moved over to Membrane's original cot, picking up the washcloth so that it could be refilled with ice. "You two can hug later."

"Alright ma'am." Elliot slowly pulled away from Membrane. "He was helping me with this." He pointed to his lip. "And this." He pointed to his arm next, showing off the bandaging.

The nurse turned to watch the boy point to his wounds. "Oh my. Dodge ball again? Elliot… I swear I gave those boys a note about you playing that barbaric game."

"It is fun, though." Elliot smiled. "Even if I do get a little hurt."

"A little?" The nurse raised a brow and shook her head before she turned to Membrane, who had quietly lain back down on the cot. "But thank you for helping our little Elliot, you must be great friends." She smiled as she placed the icy cloth on the brunette's forehead. "As for you." Her eyes turned back to Elliot. "Run along. He needs his rest."

"Yes ma'am." Elliot nodded and headed towards the door, turning before he left. "See ya later, Membrane!" He gave a little wave before he disappeared out the door.


End file.
